Tuesday, January 29, 2013

10 Ideas to Use Pinterest for Profit

I was reading a blog post by Jeff Bullas, one of Forbes top 50 social media power influences, about the 10 commandments of using Pinterest for business. Some ideas are already a common ground for all of us, but others are very interesting. Hopefully, this will help you in the promotion of your TPT stores in Pinterest.


10 Top Tips for Marketing your Business on Pinterest infographic
If you enjoyed this article, I would LOVE you either to: 
   
1) Join my site with Google Friend Connect or
2) Become a follower in Pinterest. Click here.
3) Follow my TPT store. Click here.
4) Like my Facebook. Click here.


Monday, January 28, 2013

3 Things That Pinspired Me Last Week

One of the things that pinspired me last week was Jason Valentine's Day free bingo. I think that the activity is awesome and the presentation amazing!

Valentine's Day create your own Bingo Card.  Use this to keep the kids busy for awhile when they're all hyped up on sugar!  Click on the link below for more info about the images used to make this resource (Images © Graphics Factory) http://jasonsonlineclassroom.com./graphics-factory/ 

 The second one was ideas for homework organization by Crystal Lynn. I think that my homework needed a little bit of push and I think I got it.

The Tutor House: Ideas for Homework Organization

And finally this awesome homework kit designed by Andrea Randall!



What do you think of my pinspiration last week? 
Leave a comment! 



Fluttering Through First Grade

Saturday, January 26, 2013

127 Linky Parties Happening Right Now

It is clear to me that one of the key issues in the promotion of our Teachers Pay Teachers store is Linky Parties. Well I have been in TPT for only two months, and I am everyday digging in the internet for them. 

Today I found this website called Blog Guidebook and I realized that they are a directory to list your Linky party. At this juncture, 127 individuals have listed theirs. Not all of them are related to education. In fact, I just saw a few of them (One of them is mine). But like with Pinterest, I have learned to expand my scope and join forces with similar fields: crafts, painting... I think and I hope we can send a bit of traffic to our store and promote our products

Please click the link below.




If you enjoyed this article, I would LOVE you either to: 


1) Join my site with Google Friend Connect or

2) Become a follower in Pinterest. Click here

3) Follow my TPT store. Click here.

4) Like my Facebook. Click here.

Friday, January 25, 2013

5 Funny Things that Happened This Week

I am linking up to Doodle Bugs Teaching Five for Friday Linky party. Here are 5 random things from this week!

 fiveforfriday 

1. After several weeks with an amazing weather, today it was rainy and cold. All day inside the class. The kids were climbing up the walls. I need a good happy hour now.  

 
 2. My twin boys are having a sleep over with their friend Jesse. YESSSS. First date in a long time. Well we will have to celebrate Valentine's Day a few weeks earlier. 

 
 
 3. More testing! It seems that every week we test more and teach less. I am a bit tired. This is not fun anymore. 
 

 4.  We have been practicing putting words in alphabetical order. Not easy. Using a pocket chart and with the help of a quilt, students wrote 8 words and then we cut them out, used them like flash cards and practiced in the rug. Mission accomplished!

  
 5. For the third week in a row, we keep reviewing Money. It has been lots of fun. We have been playing with several games that the kids love. 
 

Wednesday, January 23, 2013

How to Write the Best Blog Post Ever

Digging into the Internet last night I came across at Hubspot with this amazing article on how to write the best blog post EVER, by Kipp Bodnar. I think it is an eye opener for newbies like me that want to write persuasive and visually appealing posts to promote their TPT store. Here is the full article. Please give credit to Hubspot, a must stop place for online marketing.


Some of the most common blogging advice is to write great posts. The problem is that few experts (if any) actually go into detail about how to actually write compelling and interesting blog posts. That ends today. Today, we are going to review the elements of great blog posts so you can use these traits to write the best blog post ever.

Part of writing amazing content is being willing to ignore previous assumptions of blogging best practices. Here are common blogging assumptions to ignore on your quest for the perfect blog post.

1. Length Matters - The number of words in your blog post doesn't matter and is not a predictive indicator of the success of a piece of content. The truth is that people have been successful with all variations of blog post lengths. Brian Solis tends to write long, in-depth blog posts while Seth Godin usually sticks to very short posts. Both have been very successful, which helps demonstrate that length simply doesn't matter.

2. Comments Matter - Maximizing the number of comments for a blog post should not be your goal. The goal of your business blog is to drive visits, leads, and customers. As Dan Zarrella recently pointed out, comments do not contribute to these important metrics on which a blog should be measured. Comments don't matter.

3. Perfection Matters - Yes, grammar is important in a blog post. Yes, the idea must be conveyed clearly. However, perfection is the enemy of great business blogging. Being timely tops being perfect. Publishing content on time even if it is only very good and not perfect is critical to great blogging. Blogging is an iterative process. The more you blog, the better you understand your content and your audience. Perfection stops blogging progress and ultimately doesn't matter.

Now that we have outlined what doesn't matter, let's instead focus on the key characteristics that, when combined, make the best business blog post ever written.


7 Traits of Great Blog Posts

1. Actionable - Whether they found the blog post through a search engine, an email, or a social network share, the core reason people click through to an article is to solve a problem. What makes people share a post with others is the actionable insight it provides to solve a problem. Provide clear takeaways and actionable steps in blog posts to ensure your idea resonates with readers.

2. Combined Relevance - Metaphors are a timeless storytelling element. Don't leave metaphors to novelists. They should be an active part of blog posts. Comparing two seemingly different things and drawing connections between them is a valuable way to combine relevance and generate more intense interest in a subject.

3. Urgent - Journalists write articles based on who, what, when, why, and how. As a blogger, answering the "why" isn't enough. Instead, it is critical to answer "why now?" The web is flooded with content. Content that is urgent and timely wins in the race for attention.

4. Visual - Making a blog post visual doesn't mean filling it with images and videos (not that video and images aren't important in blog posts). However, they aren't the only ways to make a blog post visual. Use section headers, numbers, bullets, and other text elements to make it easy for readers to understand your idea quickly.

5. Solution-Based - As we said earlier in this post, on the web, people are looking for solutions. Products aren't solutions. They are part of a solution. Don't cram a blog post full of product content. Instead, provide educational content that runs parallel to your product offering.

6. Entertaining - Informative doesn't mean boring. Just because you sell sheet metal, doesn't mean your business blog can't also be entertaining. Have your shop crew make some fun and timely creations out of sheet metal and post an image or video of each new creation. Have someone outside your company review your blog post to check for entertainment.

7. Definitive - Great blog posts aren't meek or subtle. They are clear, direct, and definitive. Take a stand, make strong word choices, and don't waver on your advice. Be the expert on your topic.

How do you write great blog posts?

If you enjoyed this article, I would LOVE you either to: 

1) Join my site with Google Friend Connect or
2) Become a follower in Pinterest. Click here
3) Follow my TPT store. Click here.
4) Like my Facebook. Click here.      


 

Tuesday, January 22, 2013

My Favorite Things in 2012

This an activity that I did with my students after 100 days of school. Can you tell me your favorite things for 2012? Here is a compilation of mine:



12. Favorite movie you watched: The Tess of the Durbervilles
11. Favorite TV series: Chopped
10. Favorite restaurant: El Bulli
9. Favorite new thing you tried: German schnapps
8. Favorite gift you got: My Family
7. Favorite thing you pinned: Soccer pics
6. Favorite blog post: How to create a Linky party in 5 minutes
5. Best accomplishment: Create my own blog
4. Favorite picture: With Gordon, Andrea and Kathrine in Lake Kostanz, Swizterland
3. Favorite memory: Trip to Germany to see abuelo Juan
2. Goal for 2013: Be healthy
1. One Little Word: Health






Teacher to the Core

Monday, January 21, 2013

Mardi Gras Linky Party (ALL WELCOME)

I started dating my wife 14 years ago New Orleans. A group of friends decided to leave LA for a few days and enjoy the numerous charms that this city in the South has. It was an amazing trip. A friendship was forever consolidated. And much more. The memories are so many that I felt compelled to throw my first Linky party just to celebrate. Mardi Gras, for me, is New Orleans. The connection is quick and the feelings make my heart pump heavily.




This Linky party welcomes everybody. You do not have to grab a button or put a link back to my site from yours. You can link up ONE product of yours from your TPT store or your blog. Like I said, this is intended to be a celebration to spread the word out and send potential customers to your stores.  

THE PRODUCT DOES NOT HAVE TO BE RELATED TO MARDI GRAS.



If you enjoyed this Linky party, I would LOVE you either to: 

1) Join my site with Google Friend Connect or
2) Become a follower in Pinterest. Click here
3) Follow my TPT store. Click here.
4) Like my Facebook. Click here.      



TBA's Ultimate Linky Party

New Year's Resolution for Fonts 4 Teachers

My resolution for year is to get better with discipline. For whatever reason I ignore at this point I begin the year very strong and my control over the whole class is perfect. But as the year progresses my attitude towards the discipline approach changes and this tends to create equivocal situations that affect my overall performance. I do not know if this is an accurate depiction of what happens in my class but that is the way I see. It is possible that other factors intervene in the process. I really do not know!

What is your resolution for this new year. Please share with us!

Leave a post!



Teaching Maddeness
Clutter-Free Classroom

Sunday, January 20, 2013

ABC Print Dotted Font

Create handwriting worksheets on Valentine's Day for your students with this amazing free ABC Print Dotted Font. Students will be able to recognize and trace letters easily without the need of lines or arrows. 


 I hope you like it. Please click here to get the free 
ABC Print Dots Font.

A) If you like it, you can buy the 6 ABC Print Style Family Fonts packet for only $9. Click here.

B) Or the super saver Fonts 4 Teachers Deluxe. 57 fonts for school. You save $20. Click here. (This Offer Expires in 3 DAYS) 
 

Friday, January 18, 2013

56 Ways to Market Your Store in Pinterest


Do you want to know how to improve your strategies in Pinterest and attract more visitors to your boards and eventually more followers? Well I found this resource online at Coppyblogger, one of the most prestigious places for marketing online in the web. I have been receiving their newsletters for years and learned numerous tricks on persuasive copy for program descriptions. They are the famous for their killer online content. I think you should consider joining this website. 

Please click here to read the whole article.




Please join my Google + member group and you will receiving more info on how to improve your social marketing strategies to bring more customers to your Teachers Pay Teachers store.

Wednesday, January 16, 2013

30 Awesome Ways Teachers Can Promote Blog Posts

I just stumbled upon this amazing infographic in Launch Grow Joy about 30 awesome ways for teachers (or anybody else) to promote your blog posts. I just opened my blog two days ago and I also need this info to get to more people.


 


I hope you like it. If you do leave a comment or join my site with Google friends connect.

Fern Smith's Thursday's Tech Tips for Teachers Linky Party!

Tuesday, January 15, 2013

How Educators Can Throw a Linky Party: Free and Easy

The following video describes in simple steps the process to register an account in InLinkz, create a collection for FREE and add this collection to a blogger blog. It describes also the main editing capabilities of the tool.

 

For more info, visit http://www.inlinkz.com

If you think that this resource was helpful, please join this site with Google + Friend Connect or leave a comment!


Fern Smith's Thursday's Tech Tips for Teachers

Martin Luther King Tribute



Martin Luther King, Jr. (January 15, 1929 – April 4, 1968) was an American clergyman, activist, and prominent leader in the African-American Civil Rights Movement.[1] He is best known for his role in the advancement of civil rights using nonviolent civil disobedience. King has become a national icon in the history of American progressivism.

A Baptist minister, King became a civil rights activist early in his career.[4] He led the 1955 Montgomery Bus Boycott and helped found the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC) in 1957, serving as its first president. King's efforts led to the 1963 March on Washington, where King delivered his "I Have a Dream" speech. There, he established his reputation as one of the greatest orators in American history. He also established his reputation as a radical, and became an object of the Federal Bureau of Investigation's COINTELPRO for the rest of his life. 

On October 14, 1964, King received the Nobel Peace Prize for combating racial inequality through nonviolence. In the next few years leading up to his death, he expanded his focus to include poverty and the Vietnam War—alienating many of his liberal allies with a 1967 speech titled "Beyond Vietnam". King was planning a national occupation of Washington, D.C., called the Poor People's Campaign. 

King was assassinated on April 4, 1968, in Memphis, Tennessee. He was posthumously awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 1977 and Congressional Gold Medal in 2004; Martin Luther King, Jr. Day was established as a U.S. federal holiday in 1986. Hundreds of streets in the U.S. and beyond have been renamed in his honor.

Continue reading more at Wikipedia.

Monday, January 14, 2013

Create a Variety of Handwriting, Spelling & Penmanship Lessons

Most teachers create their own handwriting, spelling, and penmanship lessons. But this is time consuming if you do not have the proper tools.


Well Fonts 4 Teachers Deluxe can easily create a variety of handwriting, spelling & penmanship lessons! It is something you can't live without for the Writer's Workshop.


The new Fonts 4 Teachers Deluxe easily generates hundreds of student worksheets for practice at home and at school. You can trace lines, dots, arrows or a combination of all 
three for targeted writing and math assignments. 





The package includes a total of 57 Fonts: 

- 6 Print Writing Fonts 
- 6 D'Nealian Fonts 
- 6 Cursive Writing Fonts 
- 2 Phonics Fonts 
- 2 American Sign Language Fonts 
- 3 Math Fonts 
- 6 Decorative Fonts 
- 8 Box/Block Fonts (New) 
- 18 Seasonal Fonts – Halloween, Thanksgiving, and Christmas (New)


Enjoy! Leave a message telling what you think, please!